Aeon
by Lady Delphox
Summary: Ash had almost won this time. Almost. But for some people, 'almost' isn't quite enough. A betrayal fic, but not the usual way. Aura!Ash x Harem. Pikachu x Harem. Rated MA for adult stuff. SYOC submissions open (READ DETAILS INSIDE)
1. Prologue

**_I've decided to do one of these, which I've always wanted to do. By 'one of these,' I mean an Ash gets betrayed story. I did my homework, though, so don't worry about the plot being too repetitive. What I mean by that is this won't just be an 'all Ash's friends betray him, he runs away to train on a mountain for exactly five years, he gets invited to a master tournament, he beats up all the traitors, then he rides off into the sunset,' type of fic. The only repetetive thing will be the actual betrayal. Though I must admit, I am a sucker for the cliche._**

 ** _But no._**

 ** _Ash will be a bit darker than canon, but he will not be an asshole. He will not be super-duper serious Ash, either. He'll just be a bit more knowledgeable about the real world and what can happen if you are too trusting. He'll be the same goofy badass we all wish he was._**

 ** _There will be a harem, obviously. But I refuse to add May, Dawn, Serena, or, god forbid, Misty. I can't stand Misty. I may bend the rules for one or two of the other listed girls on the ban list, if you ask nicely. Oh, and Pokémon ARE allowed into the harem, if you readers so choose._**

 ** _Only a couple of spaces in the harem are guaranteed:_**

 ** _Korrina (She's necessary for what I have planned in the story. Plus, I love her too much to not include her)_**

 ** _Phoebe (Hoenn Ghost Elite)_**

 ** _-Empty Spot-_**

 ** _-Empty Spot-_**

 ** _-Empty Spot-_**

 ** _-Empty Spot-_**

 ** _-Empty Spot-_**

 ** _-Empty Spot-_**

 ** _-Empty Spot-_**

 ** _As you can see, there are seven empty slots. That's the max I'm willing to go for now, because I know my limits and know when there are too many people for me to give equal screen time to. I will add more in the future, probably._**

 ** _I will post a poll on my profile. You may also leave suggestions in the comments. The results don't need to be in for a few chapters now, so don't feel too rushed._**

 ** _Alright. I think I've rambled enough. On to the story._**

 ** _Prologue_**

* * *

As Ash recalled a fallen Greninja to his pokéball, the preteen boy couldn't help but feel… relieved. As if he had finally proven himself, despite having lost, to the entire world.

For him, this loss just screamed 'see? I can do it. I made it far.' His entire journey, he had been inching closer and closer to victory. Each and every league, he made some sort of progress. This time, he had made it to the very final trial- and lost, but barely.

Hence the relief.

Alain returned his barely standing Charizard, still mega evolved, after a good rub along the fire dragons neck.

And in spite of all the spectators calling out Alain's name, instead of Ash's, Ash smiled. He walked up to his opponent and shook his hand and left the stadium with his head held high, faithful friend pikachu clinging to his shoulder. They both knew that they had definitely grown in strength, and that the next time they were faced with such unfamiliar circumstances, they would win.

Too bad some people didn't see things that way.

* * *

"I swear, he just gets worse and worse every league!"

Delia Ketchum was tired of listening to Professor Oak ramble on about how terrible at battling her son was. It was annoying and, frankly, extremely disrespectful.

"Samuel," Delia's voice, cold and quiet, instantly cut through Oak's complaining. Silence fell. "I think I'm going to head home now."

"What?" Oak sputtered. "But we have to wait for the others to get here. Did you forget about the-"

"Samuel," Delia growled. "I don't care about the party. You are being way out of line right now, and I would like to leave." She stood, and started to pull on her coat.

"Here, let me help," Oak tried, reaching for Delia's arm. She snatched it away.

"Good night, Samuel. If Ash stops here first, send him straight home." And with that, Ash's mother stomped out of the labs front doors.

Oak sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have-"

"Shouldn't have what?" Gary Oak strolled through the front doors as if he owned the place, tossing his jacket somewhere in the corner. Umbreon darted ahead of him to jump up on a chair. "Why was Delia leaving? And looking so pissed, too."

Oak hesitated. "When Ash lost the Kalos league, I just… realized something."

"What would that be?" Gary pressed, picking up Umbreon, sitting on the same chair, and placing her in his lap.

"Ash… is just not fit for the life of a Champion." Oak paused, as if scared that his grandson, aka Ash's friend, would snap at him like Delia did.

Gary's next words surprised him.

"Finally, someone else noticed. Yeah, he's gotten, like, super terrible at battling," Gary agreed readily, and Umbreon's ears perked up at the direction the humans' conversation was going. She started to feel uneasy. "Ever since he won the Orange league, he's never won anything else."

"Thank god you agree. So, what should we do about it?"

Suddenly, the doors burst open, and in walked Brock, Misty, and May and Max Maple.

"It really is so good to finally meet you, May," Misty was saying. "I mean, if you traveled with Ash, then you've probably went through the same pain as me and Brock." As she spoke, there seemed to be a tang of bitterness in her voice.

May smiled at the red head, charmed already. "If you mean watching him act a fool and lose the league, then yes."

Max had his arms crossed indignantly. "You guys have been talking bad about Ash since May and I got off the boat. Please, just stop."

"Shut up, Max," May growled. "It's not bad talking. We're just comparing experiences."

"Sounded like bad talking to me," Brock stated.

"Who's bad talking who?" Dawn Berlitz said in her loud, confident voice as she sashayed into the lab. "Because I am like, the best at bad talking."

The piplup in her arms made a mocking squeak.

Gary jumped at this opportunity. "Actually, me and gramps were just talking about Ash. We're concerned, you see." Umbreon, unbeknownst to everyone else, had her fur raised.

"Concerned? About what?" Dawn responded, sitting down in a chair and crossing a leg over the other. She let Piplup down onto the ground.

"Well, we've noticed that he seems… unqualified for his chosen path," Oak confessed, slightly nervous.

Dawn's crystal blue eyes widened. "Are you guys crazy?!"

"I don't think they are," Misty said. "Ash is really getting nowhere."

"At this rate, he'll end up dying a wannabe," May realized aloud.

"Guysss…" Dawn whined. "Ash'll be here any minute!"

"So? Let him hear!" Brock burst out, surprising everyone. "He needs to know what a mistake he's making, continuing this journey of his."

"Well, I don't want to be here when Ash walks through that door and hears what you're saying about him," Dawn said firmly. She stood up.

"And you act like you don't agree with us, Dawn," Gary argued, not noticing Umbreon sliding off his lap and onto the floor. "Don't you want Ash to be happy?"

"..." Dawn was locked in place. She didn't want to admit it, but she was kind of feeling the same way.

"Hello?" A petite, honey blonde haired girl with wide cornflower blue eyes stood in the doorway. "This is professor Oak's laboratory, right?"

"Serenaaaa!" A young blonde girl suddenly latched onto the older girl's waist. "Didja' find it?"

"Well, the sign does say 'professor Oak's lab' out front…" an older blonde boy said, panting slightly as he appeared, as if he had been running.

"You must be here for Ash, too," Misty said distastefully. "Aren't you that chick from Summer Camp that had, like, a huge crush on Ash?"

Serena blushed heavily. "W-what?"

"What? You mean someone could actually have a crush on that little kid?" A girl with wild purple hair demanded, pushing her way through the three blondes in the doorway.

"Iris…" a green haired guy sighed tiredly.

"I know, right?"

"Okay, will someone tell me what's going on here?" Serena exclaimed.

Dawn felt conflicted. But as she looked at Serena, and then May, who she could tell was definitely a girl in love- and then Misty, who was most definitely giving off a bitter ex vibe- she realized she had no reason to keep holding onto Ash. He clearly had multiple other girls pining after him. She- Dawn- was no different. What made her think that she ever had a chance?

"We think Ash is not in the right mental state to be a Pokémon trainer." And imagine everyone's surprise when Dawn uttered these words. Her eyes were cold and, if one were to look closer, hurt.

Gary, however, was not going to complain about Dawn's one-eighty. "That's right. He's only gotten worse over the years. We think that has something to do with his natural lack of talent."

As the group proceeded to slowly woo the new group of people into their way of thinking, though the purple haired girl, Iris, didn't seem to need much convincing, Umbreon and Piplup were conversing in the corner.

"What's going on?" Piplup whispered to Umbreon.

"I'm not sure. But what I do know is that it's nothing good." The dark type narrowed her red eyes at her trainer. "I don't like it."

"We should go and say something to Ash's Pokémon," Piplup suggested. "In the corral."

"Yes, I'm sure a heads up would be appreciated," Umbreon agreed. She easily melted into the shadows. Piplup huffed, and then started to make his way quietly through the room to the open door leading to the corral.

Once outside, they noticed that the sun was almost done setting.

"Bulbasaur!" Umbreon shot forward, catching the grass type starter Pokémon by surprise.

"Umbreon?"

"Something bad is going to happen. I'm no absol, but I can definitely say that disaster is near," the dark type told Bulbasaur.

"What do you mean? What's going on?" Swallow, who was soaring overhead, overheard the conversation and dive-bombed the group.

"Come listen for yourself," Umbreon invited, beckoning forwards the doorway to the lab with a dark paw.

* * *

Ash Ketchum was in a good mood.

Sure, he had lost the fight, but at least he still had his friends, his mother, and, most importantly, his Pokémon. These thoughts brought a smile to his face as he walked down Route 1, towards Pallet Town.

"Pikaaa," Pikachu cooed. He rubbed his cheek against Ash's.

Ash, undisturbed by the sparks of electricity coming from his partners' cheek pouch, reached up and scratched Pikachu behind the ear. "It sucks that we lost, Pikachu," Ash said. "But we've still got the rest of our lives to become masters."

…". .. "Pikachu," the electric type agreed happily.

"And besides," the raven haired boy continued jovially. "Who said it would be easy? A dream is called a dream for a reason, you know. We just need that extra bit of effort to make it a reality."

Pikachu twitched an ear to show he was listening. This was why he loved his trainer- he never gave up. Sometimes, the electric mouse thought that Ash was the one thing keeping him going every day.

A pidgey fluttered by overhead. Seeing the Tiny Bird Pokemon, Ash suddenly gripped the side of his head as a bolt of pain shot through it. He squeezed his eyes shut, catching Pikachu's attention, and stopped walking.

"Pikapi?"

Ash dropped his hand to his side and shook his head. "Sorry, Pikachu. Just…" he looked in the direction the pidgey disappeared to. "Just a headache. Let's go, I'm sure everyone's waiting for us!"

Pikachu, though concerned about his trainers behavior, went along with it for now. "Pika!"

Then, Ash proceeded to sprint the rest of the way to Pallet.

-TimeSkip-

As Ash and Pikachu approached the lab, Ash couldn't help but feel like something was off.

"Pii…" Pikachu, too, seemed a tad bit suspicious.

Shrugging off the feeling of unease, Ash grabbed the door handle and pushed the double doors open.

"Hello?" Ash called, loudly, as he walked deeper into the main area. The lights were off. Pikachu's Cheeks began to spark.

Suddenly, the lights all flickered to life.

"Surprise!" Came Professor Oak's voice.

Ash was astonished to see all the people he had traveled together with, all together in one room. He certainly hadn't expected this.

"Serena? May? Dawn?" Ash was stunned. "When did you get here?" His eyes found Misty, who was glaring quite intensely. Ash ignored it and opened his arms for a hug. "Misty! Brock!"

"I see you're still a little kid," said a familiar high-strung voice. Ash winced, but quickly hid it.

"Iris… and Cilan! It's great to see you all, really," Ash said sincerely. He dropped his arms once it became apparent that he wasn't getting a hug. "This is amazing."

"Don't thank us yet, Ashy-boy," Gary said, standing up and crossing the room to his former rival. "Have a seat. Take a load off."

"Uhh…" Ash didn't seem to have much of a choice as Gary practically forced him down into a chair. "Okay."

An awkward silence ensued.

Ash couldn't help but notice things, like the way Dawn was staring down at her boots and hadn't said a word since he came in- something that was unnatural for Dawn. And then there was Brock and Cilan, standing together and giving Ash hard looks.

"Um… so, how is everyone doing?" Ash said, desperate for some sort of communication.

"Cut the crap, Ash," Misty muttered. "It's not like you even care how we're doing."

Ash was stunned into silence.

"Oh, now you're speechless?" Misty continued, louder this time, on a roll now. "The great Chosen One Ash, of the purest of hearts, mister 'I must save every legendary pokemon' himself has nothing to say!"

"Misty," Gary said gently. "We agreed that this would not be done that way."

"What?" Ash was finally regaining his voice. Misty scoffed and looked away. "What's happening?"

"Ash," Oak said softly. "We have some concerns…"

"Stop trying to be nice, Professor," Brock sighed. "And don't use so many big words. He responds well to idiocy."

Ash couldn't believe what his old friend had just said. Sure, he knew he was kind of ditzy, but that didn't mean he was… well, an idiot. Pikachu growled softly. He never did like it when people implied that his trainer was less than intelligent.

"I'll do the talking," Gary interrupted. He seemed annoyed. "Ash, we've been talking, all of us, and we think it's best that you choose a different life goal."

The entire world stopped. Pikachu reacted first, his small body becoming covered from ear to tail in thin waves of electricity. He snarled, cheeks sparking.

Ash felt as if he wasn't even inside his own body, like he was on the outside looking in instead of vice versa.

"D'you think we broke him?" May asked casually.

"Of course not," Dawn scoffed, finally looking up. "He's smart- too smart. He just loves the attention."

"What's that mean, Dawn?" Ash demanded, standing up. Pikachu leapt down, landing on the linoleum floor, the cold material acting as a conductor for his discharges of rage-fueled power.

"What I mean, Ash Ketchum," Dawn snapped, "Is that you have been found out."

"Dawn…" Serena whispered from her chair.

"No!" The bluenette countered. "He should know that we know all about his little game."

"Game?" Ash said, voice barely a broken whisper.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You like having all these girls smitten over you. You're like the perfect player."

"What Dawn's trying to say," May interjected, "is that you can't possibly be so oblivious as to not notice all the girls you somehow manage to enchant."

Ash stiffened.

Gary, with a slight urgency in his voice, said, "Do you girls really have to make this all about you?"

"Yes!" Misty hissed. "We're doing this _now."_

" _No,_ we are not," Gary stated firmly.

"We have other matter to address first," Cilan agreed.

"Ash, you honestly are not going to make it any farther in this world," Brock stated bluntly. "You only seem to be getting worse with each league."

"So true! I mean, he lost against a _charizard_ using his _greninja._ Talk about not utilizing type advantages!" Iris lamented.

"He was mega…" And that was all Ash could say. He wanted so badly to just run, he could tell Pikachu wanted to as well, but he was rooted to the spot.

"That's no excuse!" May was saying. "Greninja was practically mega as well!"

"Why…" Ash was starting to feel needle pricks all up and down his arms and legs. Black began eating away at the edges of his vision. "What…"

"Ash." Professor Oak. "I am leaving you no choice. Please surrender your Pokédex."

As if a switch had been flipped, the black in Ash's vision slowly started to turn red.

"Where's my mom?" The boy demanded. "Where are my Pokémon?"

"Your mother had to leave early. But fret not, she fully agrees with this course of action we are taking," Oak answered.

"I don't believe you." Ash's tone was darker, angrier. "Pikachu…"

He had been waiting for his turn. The electric mouse immediately stepped in front of Ash, before promptly releasing an insanely bright flash of white light.

When the Flash attack finally faded from the traitors' eyes, Ash was gone.

* * *

"What the _fuck_ did we just witness?" Piplup asked.

"A terrible thing," Umbreon growled, her naturally dark voice becoming even darker. "Bulbasaur, alert the rest of Ash's Pokémon…"

Before she could even finish her sentence, there was a yelp of surprise nearby.

The dark type and her fellow Pokémon were immediately on guard. Umbreon silently moved through the shadows to see what was happening further in the corral.

What she saw nearly stunned her.

It was Ash and that blue ninja frog thing, Greninja if Umbreon remembered correctly. Ash was wrapped around Greninja's body, practically crushing the taller frog in his hug.

Greninja was awkwardly patting his trainers back as he cried. Then, with his surperior night vision, he spotted Umbreon. Carefully, he detatched himself from the young boy. Ash said nothing, simply stepped back.

"Pikachu should be back right about…" Ash started.

A yellow blur tackled him in the chest. "...Now."

Ash crouched down and grabbed the bag of pokéballs Pikachu had dropped at his feet, stilling momentarily as his starter made himself comfortable on his shoulder. "Bulbasaur?"

The mentioned grass type ran up to his trainer, accepting being recalled without question. Ash then looked at Umbreon. "You won't say anything, right?"

Umbreon simply tilted her head, allowing her rings to pulse slightly.

Ash smiled. "Thanks." Suddenly, Pikachu darted off Ash's shoulder. He approached Umbreon and, without warning, gave her neck a brief nuzzle. She looked like a deerling in headlights as he ran back to Ash.

Ash laughed, returned Greninja, and grabbed a different ball off his belt. He tapped the release button and a large purple, blue, and white bat-like dragon emerged. He materialized in the air and did a few showy acrobatic tricks before landing.

Ash wordlessly hopped on. Pikachu clung to his shoulder, and Ash secured his grip on the bag of pokéballs. "Anywhere but here," Ash stated in response to Noiverns' silent inquiry. One large ear twitched in affirmative.

As Piplup and Umbreon watched, Noivern flapped his wings and lifted off the ground.

Who knew how long it would be before they would see Ash again.


	2. Exile: Vision

**Oh look, reviews!**

 **AshRiolu22: It depends on whether or not Anabel wins the poll.**

 **Super elite (Guest): I'm almost certain that there will be quite a few of rarely-used girls in the harem. In fact, I insist.**

 **PyroSolracIII: I'm glad you like the potential Pokémon addition to the harem. I was afraid most people were going to just stop reading at that point. Plus, I like your suggestions. I've added them to the poll so check it out if you'd like!**

 **Beastyd22: I'm happy you like the story. Working with canon characters instead of OC's is a new venture for me. As for my update schedule, I don't have an exact update time, but since I have surprising motivation to write this, I will try to do around 1-3 chapters a week. I might disappear for a while soon, since I'm going to only be able to use my phone to write, so I'll try and get as many chapters up as I can before the end of the week, which is when my computer access will be cut off.**

 **To be honest, I wanted to write several chapters before posting, but I was just too excited.**

 **Neo Infinity: If the popular demand is high enough, which it might end up being, May and Dawn will be added to the poll. But until then, i'm not so inclined to let them in. I'm glad you voted, too- really makes my job easier.**

 **Luckenhaft: I know all about Charizard X's types and weaknesses. Some characters here do not. Keep in mind, mega evolution is a relatively new thing at the moment in the story, so a small amount of people actually have mega Pokémon, therefore people that are not from Kalos (where mega evolution was first advertised) know less about mega Pokémon. By the way, would you mind if I used your theory about Alain's mega stone?**

 **MANbearPIG01: I'll certainly try not to, but in some instances certain overused Pokémon will be unavoidable- like a lucario to help with aura. But don't worry, Ash will NOT actually have a lucario. It would be someone else's. And about the OC's… since I don't feel like coming up with my own, I'll definitely be accepting them, on one condition. They will HAVE to be antagonistic OCs, unless I specifically request a good guy OC.**

 **This chapter marks the start of a new Arc- called Exile. It will be one of the longest arcs, because it is when Ash does all his aura and Pokémon training, as well as setting the grounds for his meeting with the first couple of girls. Since there are so many in the harem, it will take awhile before everybody is all situated with Ash.**

 **Now that I've explained that, on with the story.**

 **Exile: Vision**

* * *

— 4 Months Later —

"Happy birthday, Ash."

Ash looked up from the book on Berries he had been reading for the better part of the night. "How do you know about that?"

The young psychic type simply shrugged and flashed an impish grin. "What can I say? I'm a genius." And then she proceeded to telekinetically toss a bright yellow lump of wrapping paper at Ash.

The teen caught it with ease, sat up, and then began poking at the clumsily wrapped gift. "Pikachu told you, didn't he?"

"No," the Pokémon said innocently.

Ash started out simply peeling the paper, but as he noticed what it was, he just began ripping it all away. "Oh my Arceus… you didn't. Tell me you didn't."

"Okay," the psychic agreed. "I didn't."

"Liar," Ash breathed. He held up his gift to the light filtering through the top of the tent, as if it would suddenly change into something way less cool than what it was.

"Well? Try it on!" The Pokémon said impatiently.

Just as excited, Ash slipped the glove on over his right hand. He flexed his fingers, briefly, before holding his hand up to the ligh again. He watched, fascinated, as the round stone in the center of his palm glittered with a multicolored light. "You're the best, Mew."

"I know."

—-

Ash Ketchum awoke to the sounds of growls and angry chittering.

Scooting to sit up in his sleeping bag, he considered going outside his tent to see what all the ruckus was about, but got a better idea instead.

His eyes grew unfocused for a moment before bursting with glowing blue light. The blue faded after a few moments, leaving just traces of neon blue coloring woven inside his brown irises.

Suddenly, the noises outside were comprehensible.

"-if I've told you once, I've told you a million times, Charizard! Stop frying my ketchup packets!" That was… Pikachu. Definitely Pikachu. His voice was exactly like one would expect a mouse's voice to sound like, with a very slight static-y undertone.

"Yeah, well, you could definitely use a break from those things, anyway," came Charizard's deep, rumbling voice tauntingly.

"Are you tryna call me fat?!"

"If the tail fits."

"Maybe I should teach you a lesson in respecting your elders!"

"Maybe you should learn how to use Volt Tackle without banging yourself up."

That did it. Ash could practically see what was happening in his mind; Pikachu would be lunging for Charizard's throat right then, shrouded in electricity. Charizard would then cross his wings in front of his body defensively, maybe even coating them in silver using Steel Wing for extra coverage.

Ash stood and stumbled outside the tent. Sure enough, his starter and his strongest fire type were fighting like cats and dogs.

Deciding not to intervene unless it got dangerous (which, surprisingly, rarely ever happened), Ash spotted his bag slumped against a nearby tree. He started trifling through it, before finally finding what he was looking for.

Ducking under a stray Flamethrower, Ash opened the packaging and took a bite out of his energy bar.

Looking around once more, he frowned when he failed to see the rest of his Pokémon.

"Hey," Ash called, just loud enough to be heard over the fighting. "Hey!"

Both Pokémon paused.

Satisfied with their attention, Ash asked, "Where are the Pokémon that decided to stay out last night?"

Charizard gave a puff of smoke. "I dunno. Think Gabite and Noivern went hunting."

Pikachu, from his spot on the back of Charizard's head, scratched a cheek bashfully. "Where's Mew?"

Ash sighed. "Gone."

Pikachu's ears dropped. "Oh."

Ash knew what Pikachu's problem was. First Umbreon, now Mew. Poor guy just couldn't catch a break- or get laid.

Charizard surprised them both by bursting into cackling laughter.

"Dude!" He said between guffaws. "You seriously keep trying? I swear, one day you're gonna regret chasing after all these females instead of enjoying your life!"

Pikachu growled, jumping down off of Charizard's neck. He hopped up on a nearby tree stump. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

Ash sat next to his starter and began to stroke the electric types head. "Well, I was thinking we could go searching for those mega stones Mew told us about- what do you say?"

Charizard fired off a Flamethrower into the air. "Hell yeah, I definitely want one of those mega forms."

Pikachu shrugged. "It's not like I can mega evolve, but if this is something you wanna do…"

"Great," Ash said with a small smile. Then he stood up, placed two fingers to his mouth, and whistled, loud and sharp.

A beat later, two winged blurs came rocketing out of the tree line.

The purple blur, Noivern, twisted around in the air, trying to attract notice for his impressive aerial acrobatics.

The beige blur slowed, revealing itself to be a large pidgeot. The pidgeot sped up again, flying in tight circles, causing his colorful plumage to leave a streak of color behind him.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Guys…"

He was cut off by the entrance of one more Pokémon- a gabite, making his way out of the forest toward Ash.

"Alright, I'm done," Pidgeot chortled as he landed softly on the grass. "Where to, trainer?"

Ash hopped up on Pidgeot's back and returned Gabite and Noivern while Pikachu climbed to his shoulder. Charizard flapped into the air at the same time as Pidgeot. "Well, we need mega stones, so we need to head to where this all started," Ash said. "We're going to Kalos."

* * *

Flying from Kanto to Kalos was hardly a challenge for the two fully evolved flying types. As they flew in silence, Ash couldn't help but smile down at Pidgeot and think about how lucky he was that they had found each other again.

" _I'm so sorry, Pidgeot."_

His smile fell as his first words spoken to Pidgeot, when they first encountered each other after Ash left Pallet Town, rang through his head. He wondered if Pidgeot actually forgave him, like the bird Pokémon said he did.

When Ash felt the familiar strain on his aura, he finally released his sound filter with a slight wince, and the blue traces left his eyes. Even after all that practice, it still stung a little.

"Pika?" Pikachu said, noticing his trainers discomfort. Ash shook his head subtly. Pikachu immediately understood.

Ash leaned forward one Pidgeots back, feeling himself starting to drift off somewhere far away. He watched Charizard who, without the hassle of humans on his back, was doing all kinds of barrel rolls and loop-de-loops through the air.

Before he could even realize what was happening, Ash drifted into sleep.

* * *

Phoebe gave a slight grin as she did a quick twirl, balancing on one foot. Her skirt fluttered up, quickly drifting back down upon Phoebe's stop.

"Alright," the ghost type elite said easily. "If you're sure you're ready… I accept your challenge!"

Her challenger, a guy who might've been named Ryan, or maybe even Bill, was no challenge whatsoever for the teen girl. Briefly, she wondered exactly how this guy managed to get past Sidney, but then figured that he was just unprepared to face a team of ghost types.

"Dusclops…" Phoebe called, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. "Finish that hitmonlee with Shadow Punch."

Dusclops dutifully did so, briefly disappearing and reappearing in front of a kneeling, injured hitmonlee. Dusclops promptly punched the fighting type Pokémon with a shadowy fist.

"Hitmonlee is unable to battle," the referee called. "Elite Phoebe wins!"

Phoebe smiled serenely, waving off her for-sure pissed off challenger.

"I swear, Phoebe," John said. "I will defeat you."

"Bye-bye, Rob!" Phoebe cheered.

After both he and the referee had left, Phoebe turned to the chair in the corner of her room. "So? How'd I do?"

A moment of silence passed. Then, a single card with a large 9.9 printed on it was held up by seemingly no one. Phoebe pouted.

"Oh, come on. You never give me a ten. I'm starting to think you just like screwing with me." Phoebe started to slowly sway back and forth, moving to a rhythm only she could hear. "Care for a dance?"

When she got no response, Phoebe just shrugged. She mentally reached out to one of her Pokémon.

" _Dusknoir!"_ She said telepathically. " _Dance with me!"_

A moment later. " _As you wish, mistress."_

Dusknoir emerged from the wall and took one of Phoebe's small hands in his larger ones. As if they had done this before, the two partners engaged in a graceful, mesmerizing dance together.

Ghostly energy swirled around the ghost type and his trainer, and one could practically _see_ the intense bond of partnership between them. Phoebe smiled as the Gripper Pokémon twirled her around.

They danced around the room for hours, never taking breaks, just moving constantly. Phoebe closed her eyes, just for a moment, and was immediately assaulted with the familiar tingling down her spine. Her body shook, and her eyes rolled back into her head.

She saw something unusual; it was a vision, that was certain. She saw four hooded figures, three males, one female, standing at the top of what Phoebe instantly recognized as Mt Pyre. One male was reaching for the Blue and Red other three looked to be standing guard.

A vivid red aura suddenly flared to life around the arm of the male reaching for the Orbs. He grabbed one, the Blue Orb, and instantly, the Orb seemed to have lost all of its life. The color dulled out, turning the once vibrant blue into a lifeless gray.

Alarmed, Phoebe tried catching a glance at one of their faces, but all she could see were glowing red eyes beneath the dark hoods.

She woke up in a cold sweat. Dusknoir was patiently holding her in his arms, holding a weakened Ice Punch powered palm to her head. She pushed his hand away and sat up, noting that she and her partner were on the floor.

Dusknoir patiently waited for her to speak.

" _That looked like trouble,"_ the normally carefree girl said, worried. " _A bunch of thugs, on the top of Mt Pyre. There hasn't been a disturbance yet, as I would have felt it, but it's going to happen soon."_

" _What should we do, mistress?"_ Dusknoir asked.

Phoebe bit her lip. " _They looked like they had some sort of power on their side. Power we don't understand. We'll definitely need help."_ She looked at the ceiling. " _A special kind of help."_


	3. Exile: I'm Sorry

_**Here's the OC template. I will only look at OCs sent to my PM, not the reviews. As a side note, the OC will need to have basic aura capabilities. Remember, antagonists only- unless you are given a special request by yours truly.**_

 _ **Name:  
Age:  
Gender:  
Appearance:  
Personality:  
Sexuality:  
Signature Pokémon (Optional):  
Pokémon Team (Optional, no major legendaries, and if you decide to use a minor legend that has multiple of its species, like Articuno, make sure there is a good reason for having it):  
Strengths:  
Weaknesses:  
Relationships:**_

 _ **Reason**_ _ **for joining the dark side (so to speak- required-):**_

 _ **Additional Information:**_

 _ **Now, the reviews.**_

 _ **Guest: Yeah, I do realize that Cynthia is quickly approaching the overused category, but she's not quite there yet imo. So, therefore, if people want her in, then she will be in. Also, bonus points. I love bonus points.**_

 _ **Side note: I'm quite satisfied that Aria and Latias are winning the poll. (Shameless bias that won't cross over into the story no matter how much I want it to)**_

 _ **Guest: Sorry about the shortness. I'm trying to make the chapters longer, specifically 5k per chapter is my goal. A difficult goal, but a goal nonetheless.**_

 _ **Guest: Okay, yeah. Probably could have explained that better. That was a memory of the last time Ash saw Mew- I think I'll just go back and put the entire scene in italics to clarify for future reference. As for Pikachu's harem, I will cover that in the next chapter AN.**_

 _ **PyroSolracIII: I'm actually quite alright with non-bipedal Pokémon in the harem. I've just been adding to the poll as I remember more girls. As for mythicals, I'm fine with that too- as long as it's not too outrageous, like a major legendary.**_

 _ **St Elmo's Fire: *Sigh.* Again? Careful, I just might block you this time. By the way, the cat on your profile pic is cute.**_

 _ **Here's the thing, guys. I reread all my posted chapters, no matter what, and make notes to fix inconsistencies and plot holes. If something doesn't make sense to me, I**_ _ **do**_ _ **go back and fix it. It might be right away, it might be months later, but I do eventually fix things. Keep that in mind before you waste your time. I'm looking at you, Elmo. This is the second time.**_

 _ **Okay. Time to read.**_

 _ **Exile: I'm Sorry**_

* * *

— 4 Months Ago —

Ash couldn't get away fast enough.

He also couldn't keep his stomach in his stomach.

After asking Noivern to land in a grassy clearing, Ash found himself hunched over a pile of his own stomach acid.

Once he was finally done retching, Ash stood. Pikachu watched wordlessly from the sidelines while Noivern had taken to the sky in order to survey the area. Ash looked up at the sky; dark gray clouds were already rolling in.

"Crap," Ash sighed. "We should find shelter."

Pikachu climbed to Ash's shoulder, urging his trainer forward. Noivern screeched overhead, and Ash looked up at the sky once more. He was blown away by what he saw; literally.

As Ash recovered from the blast of wind to his face, his eyes tracked the battle going on between his Noivern and a wild pidgeot.

The large bird Pokémon looked familiar, and he couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu, as if he had been there before. Just to make sure, he glanced around the area. Noivern screeched again, and retaliated against the pidgeot's attack with a powerful Dragon Pulse. The other flying type gracefully dodged by twisting to the side mid-dive bomb, and Ash was momentarily impressed with the pidgeot's maneuverability. Then, as the pidgeot stopped and flared its wings out wide, creating scorching hot wind currents that covered the entire area, Ash was struck with recognition.

Noivern was preparing to use a move- Boomburst, Ash realized. "Noivern!" He yelled. "Stand down!" That move could kill any Pokémon weaker than Noivern's own power level.

But it was too late. Powerful, destructive sound waves burst from Noiverns large ears, completely unavoidable thanks to the wide area they covered. Ash made sure to cover Pikachu with his arms, for once glad that he had been exposed to Noivern's Boomburst daily back in Kalos. He was practically resistant at this point.

As soon as the sound receded to a bearable level, Ash released Pikachu and stood up. He could only hope that the pidgeot survived a blast so powerful.

Blinking the flashing lights out of his eyes, Ash nearly sagged with relief when he saw the pidgeot, completely unaffected, flapping his wings in the center of a decimated landscape. A shimmering Protect barrier, once surrounding the bird, was slowly fading away.

Ash wasted no time. "Pidgeot!"

Pidgeot spared a single glance, and then a second one, as if he had been shocked. As if seeing the Pikachu standing next to Ash was a confirmation, without missing a beat, the large bird Pokémon swooped down.

Noivern watched in confusion as the Pokémon that had attacked him in the sky suddenly made a beeline for his trainer. But since Ash wasn't panicking, Noivern kept his distance.

As soon as Pidgeot landed a few feet in front of him, Ash lunged forward, catching the flying type around the neck with his arms in a tight hug.

Ash opened his mouth, meaning to ask questions, to spout off excuses, but what came out instead was something different it not entirely unwelcome.

" _I'm so sorry, Pidgeot."_

* * *

— Present Time —

"Pika."

Ash groaned and rolled onto his other side.

Pikachu growled. His ears perked in thought, before he finally came to a solution.

Since he couldn't shock his electricity resistant trainer, he would just use his recently learned move.

With a focused look on his face, Pikachu's body began glowing a soft blue. He held his paws together as a darker blue orb formed between them. When the orb was large enough, the electric mouse flung it skywards.

A small gray cloud appeared directly over Ash's sleeping form and promptly began raining. Hard.

"Gah!" Ash yelped, shooting up into a sitting position as he was thoroughly soaked through. He rolled out from under the cloud as Pikachu cackled evilly from under the dry sun.

Ash pretended to be angry, but his facade cracked and he laughed with his Pokémon. The rain cloud dissipated.

Ash, sensing he had successfully recharged his aura, switched on his sound filter. "I see you still can't hold that for more than a minute."

"I see you still can't hold that filter of yours for more than an hour," Pikachu retaliated, slightly stung. He hated it when the problems he had with his moves were pointed out.

Ash took his hat off and twisted the water out of it. "Where on earth are Charizard and Pidgeot?"

Pikachu held up a pair of pokéballs. "They decided to leave the waking you up part to me. We're in Kalos, partner." His tone turned casual. "Dream anything interesting?"

Ash froze momentarily, and then sighed. "Dang it."

"You should really stop talking in your sleep," Pikachu teased gently. Then he sobered up. "You still blame yourself?"

"For what?" Ash asked, resigned.

"I dunno. Anything. Everything. Pidgeot… the betra-"

"I don't know," Ash interrupted. He looked around, quickly recognizing their location as Route 11, right outside Geosenge Town.

"Ash," Pikachu stated. "You can't keep ignoring this."

"There's nothing to ignore," Ash responded hotly. "I'm over it. Let's go."

Pikachu didn't believe that for a second, but he decided to let it go for the moment. "Where to, partner?"

Ash was clearly tense. "Shalour City. We need to get to the Tower of Mastery. On the way, we can mine for mega stones, since we know what they look like."

"How will we manage to do that?"

Before Ash could respond, there was a sharp clanking noise as an aron hobbled out into the middle of the road, glaring at the two fiercely. Pikachu sweat dropped. "I mean… it works."

Ash slowly approached the pissed off steel type, palm out, trying to calm it down. Keeping Mew's teachings in mind, Ash slowly kneeled in front of the wild Pokémon and places a glowing blue hand on its head.

In that moment, Ash suddenly knew that the aron was female, and that she was feeling desperate and scared, rather than territorial and angry.

Ash couldn't keep up the immediate aura connection and dropped his hand. "It's alright," he tried talking to her. "I just want your help."

"Help?" The aron tilted her head. Her fear went down slightly. That was good.

Encouraged, Ash continued. "Yeah, that's right. You see, me and my partner here have a problem-"

"You can hear me?"

Ash nodded. "Yes."

"Then…" Aron hesitated. "Can you help me?" Her emotions experienced a spike of hope.

Ash answered without hesitation. "Of course. What's the problem?"

"Well…" Aron shuffled a foot in the dirt. "You might know that we aron survive off of metals and minerals. Well, my brother and I can't get to the ones we sense in the cave."

"Reflecting Cave?" Ash looked up in the direction of the cave, whose entrance was just out of sight. "What's happened?"

"Come see for yourself," Aron invited, starting to hobble down the path. Ash tentatively picked her up, surprised at how light she was for her species.

 _Malnourishment?_ Ash wondered, trying to remember Mew's lessons on Pokémon health. _Or maybe her ability is Light Metal,_ he pondered. _That isn't likely at all._

Eventually, Ash, Pikachu (who was walking silently at Ash's side), and Aron made it to the entrance of Reflecting Cave.

But something was wrong.

The entrance was completely filled to the very top with large boulders. Ash walked up to one and attempted to push it.

It didn't even budge.

Not that he expected it to.

Ash stepped back. Then he sighed. "Well, I guess if we want to find those mega stones then we'll have to find out what happened here. You up for it, Pikachu?"

"Of course." Then Pikachu turned to Aron. "Hey, Aron, do you have _any_ idea what happened?"

"No," Aron sighed. "I come here every day at dawn, collect everything I can in that-" She nodded to the cloth bag lying by the blocked entrance. "-and then I bring it back to my brother."

"Do you mind telling me about your brother?" Pikachu asked.

Aron shifted suspiciously. "I-I don't know. Why?"

"Come one," Pikachu soothed. "You can trust me."

As his starter made conversation with the young steel type, Ash surveyed the rocks. The whole situation was weird, as there was very little that could have caused such a wreckage. The only Pokémon that could do this that lived in a cave/mountain setting were tyranitar and aggron- Groudon, too, but that was laughable unlikely.

Left with no other choice, Ash looked left and right. Satisfied that there were no immediate threats, he switched on what he liked to call his 'aura retracer,' causing his eyes to go completely blue. He reached out and touched the rock, bracing himself.

Suddenly, it was like he was watching a movie.

It was around sunset. A hooded figure was standing in the entrance of Reflection Cave, inspecting a glittering stone held in his hand. Then there was a kind of cracking sound. Ash watched in shock as the hooded figures entire forearm was surrounded with red aura and the glittering stone- a mega stone, perhaps- lost all of its glitter.

The hooded person, seeming unsatisfied, suddenly started climbing up the side of the cave entrance. The person then proceeded to place their hand on the rocky surface, and using that strange red aura, caused the rock walls to start shaking.

Their job apparently done, the hooded figure slid back down to the ground, looked around once, and then disappeared into the cave just as the rocks started to fall over the entrance.

And just like that, Ash had seen enough.

Emerging from his 'retracer haze,' Ash leaned his back against the rocks and sat down, breathing hard. He hated doing that- it barely left him with enough energy to sense nearby auras.

"Pika?" Ah, crap, looks like his sound filter ran out. Ash signaled with a hand to let the concerned Pikachu know about this fact.

"A person did this," Ash finally explained once he was done panting. At Pikachu's incredulous look, Ash quickly added, "an aura user. I'd recognize that energy anywhere. It was red, though, not blue." Ash gave a heavy sigh, forcing himself to his feet, gripping the rocks for balance. "I think they're still here."

Pikachu pointed to Ash's belt of pokéballs.

"No, I didn't see any Pokémon," Ash answered. "They were definitely alone."

Pikachu gave a frustrated huff. Then he tapped his wrist.

"Yeah, I know we don't have time for this, but what if it becomes something even worse in the future?" Ash challenged. When Pikachu said nothing, Ash smiled. "You know how the butterfree effect works, don't you?"

Even though the words brought back painful memories of his first captured Pokémon, Ash held strong. "And you know what could happen if we let these red-aura guys run amok. Aura guardians have the collective power to bring the apocalypse, you know."

Even though Pikachu was visibly reluctant to deviate from their planned path, Ash knew he had won his friend over. With a sense of victory, Ash turned to Aron.

"Don't worry, we'll find out who did this."

* * *

In Hoenn, atop Mt Pyre, four hooded figures walked in perfect v formation up the length of stairs.

The one on the front right bounded up the last few steps, hand on his belt. As soon as he reached the top, he released a mismagius from a plain red and white pokéball.

Without either Pokémon or human saying a word, the ghost type phased into the ground.

The hooded person approached the elderly couple guarding his prize.

"Who are you?" The old lady immediately demanded, suspicious.

"I'm nobody," the hooded man said, and that was the last the elders would remember for a while.

After the mismagius had successfully appeared in front of the couple and used Hypnosis, the man watched as the two collapsed to the ground.

"You're lucky this lovely lady here doesn't let me kill," the man muttered. "Tria, return, please." The mystic Pokémon was recalled without a fight. He motioned with a hand to the others still on the stairs.

The first man stepped over the unconscious bodies of the elder guardians, eyes trained on the prize.

The other three stood watch, waiting not-so-patiently for their leader to get what they came for.

The man reached out towards the Blue Orb. He could practically _feel_ it's immense power, confined to the tight space of that little orb. His hand and eyes glowed with red aura right before he grabbed the Blue Orb.

He felt the Primal life energy drain from the orb and into his bloodstream, and for just a moment, he felt like a god. But the moment passed, and he was once more just a mortal man.

Before he could grab the Red Orb, a large shadow fell over the small quad.

The man looked up to see malevolent red eyes glinting in the darkness, just beyond the pedestal the orbs rested on. He heard a shout of his name just before he threw up a powerful shield that blocked the forceful blast of draconic energy that was clearly aimed for him.

There was a chilling screech; one that let the man know that that attack was just a warning shot, and that he should escape with his life while he still could.

"We need to leave!" Called the hooded man.

"But the mission-" another tried to say, but was cut off by the hooded woman grabbing his arm. She motioned for the others to grab some part of her as well. As soon as everyone was in contact, the quad disappeared in a flash of blood red aura.


	4. Exile: One Step at a Time

**Alright guys, chapter production will be slower now because I'm only able to write on my phone, which kinda sucks.**

 **Reviews:**

 **PyroSolracIII: Yep. Since Z rings are power sources, they will be an item of interest soon enough.**

 **By major legends I do mean the deity Pokemon and a few others. Here's a list:**

 **Dialga/Palkia/Giratina**

 **Arceus**

 **Uxie/Mesprit/Azelf**

 **Reshiram/Zekrom/Kyurem**

 **Rayquaza/Groudon/Kyogre**

 **Xerneas/Yvetal/Zygarde**

 **These Pokemon only have one in existence at a time. Let's say Dialga dies. A new one would immediately take its place, with two different sets of memories: it's own memories and the memories of the Dialga that came before it. This cycle continues unless the deity is killed by a certain species. If Arceus or an aura guardian intentionally kills a deity, said deity won't come back.**

 **This is because aura guardians were initially created to protect legendaries, which quickly extended to all Pokemon. As such, the first guardians were infused with a very small amount of the original Arceus' divinity. This was passed on through the generations, but it was most strong in Sir Aaron's bloodline, as his entire line were personal protectors of arceus. As a result, while other guardians that were unrelated to Aaron eventually lost almost all of the original Arceus' power, Aaron's lineage only weakened a little.**

 **Temporal King: Rest assured, Ash will not be framed. As for him being nervous, I was wondering if anyone caught that. Dawn jumping to conclusions was intentional; I wanted to replicate the effect of a real life emotionally insecure young teenager. She saw she had a lot of competition and assumed the worst about Ash. Oak will receive retribution for his lapse in judgement, and when Delia finds out, and when Ash returns, shit will hit the fan. I see how much you like Dawn and to be honest I was considering adding her to the poll simply because I like her character. But I don't know, if people want her in then they'd better speak up. I won't just do it on my own free will, can't swing without a push.**

 **You do bring a good point about Lucario, though. Zoroark is there because why not.**

 **I'm not even slightly offended, so rest easy. Your opinion is your opinion and it's not like it isn't justified.**

 **Oh, and Pikachu's harem will be composed of Umbreon, and three others that will be decided based on Ash's harem.**

 **Ash's somewhat ambiguous aura capabilities make yet another appearance this chapter.**

 **Next chapter is when all votes need to be in.**

 **Exile: One Step at a Time**

Tauros number Eight, also known as just Eight, grunted as he pulled on the chain connecting him and a large boulder with all of his might.

Seven and Twelve were both working on two more boulders, and Twenty One was helping Gabite. Twenty One would dislodge a boulder by kicking it with his powerful hind hooves and Gabite would yank it out with sheer force while it was temporarily loosened.

Ash was standing to the side, useless in this endeavor. Sceptile stood stoically at his side, surveying the situation.

Aron had went home after Ash helped her fill her bags with rocks and minerals, foraged from the nearby forest area.

Ash had recharged enough to turn his sound filter on, so he heard the various conversations his Pokemon were having.

"And then I told her to fuck off,' Nine said to Five as the two rested from their earlier work. "And that I didn't want to do a cow!"

"You're too wild, bro," Five said.

Ash tuned out of their conversation and looked at Sceptile. The grass type spared his trainer a glance from the corner of his eye. "At least having thirty tauros is finally coming in handy."

"Yeah," Ash said. "Listen, Sceptile, about this whole situation-"

"Don't sweat it, Ash," Sceptile interrupted. "With Mews help, you've already gotten pretty good at finding things out. With our help, you'll find this guy in no time."

"Boss!" Gabite called out. "We've got a way in!"

Ash and Sceptile exchanged looks. Then they both headed over to Twenty and Gabite.

They had managed to create a small opening in the rocks. It was just big enough for a young human to crawl through.

Everybody looked at Ash.

"Oh, come on," the boy complained. "I'm not that small."

"Compared to me?" Sceptile motioned to his tall frame, six feet tall exactly. "You're like a baby."

Ash huffed. "5'7 is not short." He gave the hole a once over. "You know what, fine. Let's go, Pikachu."

Pikachu, who had been resting in Ash's bag and thus heard the entire debate, poked his head out. "Why not just return Sceptile and Gabite and then let them back out inside?"

"It's not that. I have to squeeze through a rather small opening surrounded by sharp rocks. I have a feeling that it's going to be quite uncomfortable."

Pikachu shrugged helplessly.

"Alright." Ash returned all his present Pokemon and placed a wary hand on the rock.

"Can't we just fly over this entire cave?" Pikachu whined as he hopped out of Ash's bag.

"No," the teen said, sliding his legs in first. "We need to find out who that aura user was. Plus, we need mega stones."

Ash winced as the rough stones dug into his back and sides, but managed to slide through relatively easily.

He hit the rocky ground, landing on his feet with an 'oomph.' Pikachu, who had gotten in way easier, landed beside his trainer on all fours.

"So…" Pikachu said, his small body beginning to softly pulse with a muted white light. "What now?"

Ash unclipped several pokéballs from his belt, releasing Sceptile, a few tauros, Gabite, and Heracross.

"Sceptile, Pikachu, you're with me," Ash stated immediately. "The rest of you, keep working at the blockage."

"Sure thing, boss," Heracross said agreeably.

"Speak for yourself," Tauros number Seventeen grumbled.

As the other Pokemon got back to work, this time from the inside so the rocks would fall out of the cave instead of into it, Pikachu walked slightly ahead of his trainer and Sceptile to light the way.

"If my theory is correct, you should be able to sense if a mega stone specifically attuned to your species energy is nearby," Ash explained to Sceptile. "For any others, we'll need he help of Aron."

Sceptile swiftly nodded. He closed his eyes as he walked, apparently searching for any energies that allured him in the area.

Ash, on the other hand, preoccupied himself with trying to sense any lingering aura- specifically from that aura user that cause the blockage.

He saw tons of blue auras, from the Pokémon inhabitants and from any recent travelers.

He had just noticed a barely there thin strand of red aura amongst the blue when Pikachu's voice interrupted his focus.

"So tell me again why you can't just look for the mega stones aura energy?"

"You sure do complain a lot," Ash responded, opening his eyes once more. Pikachu released a weak jolt of electricity at his trainer.

Ash remained unaffected. "Mew never taught me how to do that- sensing the energy of an inanimate object, that is. The energy would have to be extremely powerful for an untrained aura guardian to pinpoint the location, anyway."

"What do you mean?" Pikachu prompted.

"The energy of an object isn't seeable, unlike the aura of living things like plants and Pokemon. If an aura guardian is untrained in that category, the best they could do is simply know that a mega stone is in the area." Ash motioned to their surroundings, barely illuminated by Pikachu's Flash. "As you can see, we're surrounded by mega stones, in the walls and floors and such."

"So we need to find a way to find their exact locations," Pikachu realized. "I see." He smirked. "Plus, we all know how directionally challenged you are."

Ash shot his partner a dirty look and then went back to searching for the red aura trail.

* * *

Phoebe huffed, her breath emerging as a white cloud of mist.

She had scaled Mount Pyre quickly and with purpose; not noticing the, as others would call it, biting cold despite her mediocre amount of clothing.

She grew up with ghost types **and** spent practically every day for two years on that mountain. She could handle a little chill.

Besides, her goal was much more important. She climbed the final flight of stairs, heart racing in her chest. She really hoped that she wasn't too late, that her instincts were wrong for once.

The ghost types that usually followed her around whenever she was on the mountain were absent. Once she reached the top, her heart dropped into her stomach.

She was too late.

She noted that the Red Orb was still intact, although its positioning was slightly askew. Her eyes traveled downwards and she saw the old couple on the ground, unconscious.

"Mildred! Ralph!" Phoebe exclaimed, rushing forth.

Dusknoir, who hovered a few feet behind his trainer, used Psychic to hold her back.

While his partner cursed him out mentally, the large ghost type investigated the scene himself. Sensing no immediate threat, he finally released Phoebe from his hold.

The ghost elite scrambled to the old couple's side, where she dropped to her knees, not caring about being potentially scraped. Holding her hands flat above Mildred's face, Phoebe closed her eyes and didn't hesitate to channel the energy of the ghost types nearby.

Dusknoir willingly allowed some of his ghostly energy to be used by Phoebe, as well as multiple other ghost types residing on the mountain. They knew exactly who was requesting their assistance, and had no problem helping.

Phoebe only had to wait a few seconds before she got the vision.

She saw exactly what had occured mere hours previously. Her eyes moved behind her eyelids and her hands shook ever so slightly.

Finally she broke out of it with a gasp; or rather, she was forced out of it by whatever mysterious force had been cutting off her visions for the past several years. It was a strange thing, one that prevented her from getting a clear picture most of the time. It was always irritating when she was cut off before seeing the end of a vision.

But she had seen all that she needed.

Standing from her knees in one swift movement, Phoebe turned to Dusknoir, who had been patiently hovering a few respectful feet away.

"They're fine," Phoebe assured but with a steely tone. "It was Hypnosis."

Dusknoir, of course, already knew they were still alive. He was, after all, a 'grim reaper' in the flesh. Plasma. Solidified gas. Whatever.

Phoebe took the two other pokéballs she had brought with from her side bag, summoning Dusclops and Gengar. "I need you," she motioned to Dusclops, "to get a reading in the area. Look for clues as to who did this. Gengar." The normally playful ghost type was attentive. "Wake them up. You know how."

As the ghost types got to work, Phoebe fiddled with the remaining Red Orb. The Blue Orb was hardly able to be considered an orb anymore, more similar to a rugged stone sphere.

Phoebe felt the intense heat the Red Orb emitted, and frowned slightly. As a kid, the Orbs used to be very comforting to her. Now, they just invoked feelings of dread.

She wondered why the Red Orb was untouched. She was really regretting not seeing the rest of the vision.

Finally leaving the Orbs alone, Phoebe pulled out her pokégear. She hit the first number that was on speed dial and waited impatiently for it to pick up.

When the person on the other side finally answered, Phoebe spoke immediately.

"Steven, I need your help."

* * *

Ash had been in the Reflecting Cave for three days searching for mega stones.

In the mornings, he would be on his own for the most part, with only Pikachu and Sceptile to help him out.

In the afternoons, since the tauros' had successfully cleared the blockage, Aron would come by and help Ash locate any mega stones the young steel type could sense. Since she was only an Aron, she could only find so many, but the six Ash did get left the teen very grateful.

Even though most of the stones Ash found were positively drained of color and life.

In exchange for her assistance, Ash would help Aron fill her bag with 'gourmet minerals' for her brother to eat. After all was said and done, Aron would hobble out of the cave with a pack of rocks strapped to her back and Ash would have one or two shiny new toys.

It was early on the fourth day that Ash found something a little different.

He and his Pokemon had set up camp right outside the cave, in order to catch Aron whenever she came by. Ash had decided to head deeper into the cave by himself, early in the morning, before even Pikachu was normally awake.

He was utilizing some of his free time to meditate, something that he hadn't been doing for a few days now.

If Mew were here, she'd kill me, Ash thought with amusement as he settled for a somewhat secluded area deep inside the cave.

He would be able to find his way back using his own aura trail. Plus, he had left a trail of breadcrumbs. There was no way he would get lost. He got into the proper pose.

He hadn't even started yet before he was struck with a case of hypersensitivity. His aura senses were going haywire, and he had no idea how to stop it.

Ash's body locked in place briefly before he started to see red- literally.

The red aura was **everywhere.**

This room… whatever he had stumbled upon was a definite hotspot for whatever psycho caused the cave in.

Ash was definitely getting an aura guardians version of a system error.

Ash didn't even hesitate to follow after the singular red trail after managing to shake off the shock.

All of Mew's lessons flew out the window the moment he realized that the trail was still fresh. The other aura user had been here, less than a day ago.

He had to follow it.

Wild Pokemon generally seemed to respect his space, not exactly avoiding him but not actively seeking him out, either. Most of them just seemed to be content with his mere presence in the area, something Mew had mentioned before.

Ash was getting a definite headache by the time he reached the fork in the road. He went left immediately, not really stopping to think about what he would do if he actually encountered the other aura user.

Plans were overrated anyway.

* * *

Seated on the front steps of the Tower of Mastery, Korrina turned her porcelain face up to the sun.

It was alright out, but in Kalos, that could change on a dime. She had never realized that a region could be bipolar.

Ah well. Her grandfather had said that she could bother with a tan, anyway.

Thinking of her grandfather sent Korrina into yet another one of her funk moods of the day.

Dammit. Why couldn't she just get over it? It was well over a month ago, not to mention all of the preparation time she received. There was no reason she should still be sobbing about it.

Lucario rubbed his trainers back with a paw, a box of tissues in the other. She hadn't cried yet, just pouted, but it was always nice to be prepared.

To be honest, the fighting type was hoping to get his trainer out on the rink today, but she clearly wasn't feeling it. Oh, well. Slow and steady wins the race or something like that.

Lucario was still seated on the steps next to Korrina when he spotted movement in his peripheral. He turned his head only slightly.

Sure enough, that damn lucario- aka his sister- was running off again. Lucario debated saying something, but one look at Korrina's face told him she saw what happened just fine.

"Dammit Lucy," Korrina sighed. She sighed a lot these days, Lucario noted.

The two stood up, Lucario wrapping an arm around his partner's own arm. Korrina shaded her eyes and squinted in the direction her other lucario had went.

Towards the cave.

Korrina scrunched up her nose, but set off with Lucario after the fighting type anyway.

The last time Lucy wandered off on her own, Korrina almost got sued for vandalism of private property. The blonde gym leader refused to let that happen again.

"Let's just pray she doesn't do anything too bold before we can stop her," Korrina said to her partner, who nodded in agreement.

* * *

On the outskirts of of Saffron City rested a tiny police precinct. It was recently built, only containing several small holding cells and around twenty officers.

Inside one of said holding cells were three odd people.

"Ouch."

"Don't be a wuss."

"Don't be a dick!"

"I'm always a dick! Wait…"

"Now you're being weird about it!"

"Superbia! Acedia! Shut. Up!"

The two people, one female and one male, promptly closed their mouths. The male dropped his foot from the female's leg. There was silence.

That is until Superbia, the woman, opened her mouth again. "He-"

"I don't give a **fuck** what that idiot did. Shut up before I feed you to Hydra!" The other woman exploded.

There was peaceful silence after that.

Superbia would have pointed out that Hydra wasn't even within Ira's access, but wisely decided against it. Nobody wanted to even **meet** Hydra, let alone become her next meal.

Acedia tried to get comfortable, but the Nullifier cuffs, which covered both his entire hands with impenetrable steel, got it the way. He soon gave up and just slumped over.

He was tired. Granted, he was always tired, but now… he was even more tired than usual. He suspected it had something to do with these fucking Nullifier cuffs.

Apparently, the humans used the contraptions on unruly Pokemon, which completely blocked their power. Acedia didn't consider himself exactly human, but he damn sure wasn't a Pokemon.

He eyed Superbia with slight jealousy. She was the only one out of the three of them that didn't have a tether chain locking her in place. She still had the Nullifiers, though.

People often considered Superbia to be the least dangerous in comparison to Ira and Acedia. It always pissed Ira off- but then again, what **didn't** piss her off?

Superbia turned to glare out the window, but the bars covering it put a slight damper on her mood. She softened slightly upon seeing her own face faintly reflected back at her.

Superbia was a rather vain person. But she had reason to be, having been graced with incredible good looks and smarts, although neither of those attributes are what earned her her name.

She glanced back at Ira, the woman who had shut them both up a few minutes ago, and risked smug eye contact. Her light red eyes darkened with rage, and right before she could snap there was a jangling of keys.

All three occupants of the small cell snapped their heads up towards the barred door as someone slid a key in the lock and swung the door open.

In stepped a guard. At least, he looked like a guard. He was on the shorter side, with slicked back blonde hair and blue eyes. The man surveyed the room before tsk'ing.

"They're mixing guys and gals now? What has this world come to?" He shook his head mockingly. "Then again, you were just recently caught."

Ira narrowed her eyes and stood, though the slightly longer chain connected to her Nullifier cuffs kept her to the bench area.

She hated being reminded of the fact that she was actually caught by humans. Well, technically it was their Pokémon who did it- 'Special Forces' Pokemon. They were only in the smaller precinct as a placeholder of sorts; it wouldn't be long before they would be transferred to a much larger, higher security facility. Tomorrow, in fact, if things went as planned- for the police, that is. "Who in the actual fuck are you?"

"You're clearly not a guard," Superbia said critically. She wouldn't get up just yet.

Acedia just yawned along in agreement.

"Is that how you speak to your savior?" He mocked.

This was getting ridiculous.

Ira stood up, Superbia close behind. Acedia blinked owlishly.

" **I'll ask again, because it seems you misheard me the first time."** Ira's voice was somewhat calm, but still full of uncontrollable rage. " **Who in the actual fuck are you?"**

She was so pissed that she didn't even notice the way her voice warped, or the way her red aura flared out with a vengeance.

Superbia, however, did notice. "Ira!"

The other girl snapped her head to the side to face Superbia. " **What?"**

It was then that she saw Superbia's own topaz gold aura, which curled beautifully around her in contrast to Ira's own scary, spiked red aura. Ira looked down at her hands, where the Nullifier cuffs were supposed to be.

They were there, but the normally flashing blue light was now dull and inactive. She looked up, first at the fake guard who was barely hiding laughter. Then she looked at Superbia, who was gazing down at her inactive cuffs with wonder in her eyes.

Ira looked back down at the cuffs, too stunned to move. Finally, she heard the screeching crack of steel twisting from the corner, and deduced that it was Acedia making the first move.

Ira followed his example, holding both cuffed hands in front of her and clenching her fists further inside. She finally felt her strength, much greater than that of a human, return all at once. She tilted her head to the side before promptly yanking her arms apart, snapping the thick chain as if it were a toothpick.

She slammed her covered hands together after that, using enough force to crack through the steel. Once the crack was large enough, she stuck her fingers through it and tore both cuffs apart.

It was then that Ira noticed the way the man's eyes looked slightly dilated.

She growled. " **Luxuria, you fucking idiot."**

Acedia stretched his arms above his head, lazy grey aura slowly fading.

Superbia had made short work of her cuffs, as well. She looked up at the man. Her aura faded from view, similar to Ira and Acedia. "Luxuria, you fucking genius."

The false guard grinned, right as his shape changed. He turned into a much taller male, with messy black hair, playful, dilated blue eyes, and a three o'clock shadow. "Not as genius as you, baby doll."

He then dug in his pockets, emerging with three pokéball belts- one holding three luxury balls, another holding four, and the last holding just one. He tossed one to each person in the room. Ira caught hers, the one with four balls, with hidden gratefulness, while Superbia simply slipped her belt of three around her waist with nonchalance. Acedia blinked slowly when his hit him in the face.

As if on cue, sirens sounded in the background. The newly uncovered Luxuria cursed. "One of the guards must have woken up and pulled the alarm. Let's bounce, ladies and gentleman."

Superbia flipped her hair arrogantly. "I've got this." She waved a dainty hand, and a tall mirror formed out of swirling gold aura. "After you," she said sweetly to Ira. The girl glared but stomped right through the surface.

Acedia lumbered his way through, followed by Luxuria and finally Superbia- who decided last minute to leave a little parting gift.

By the time the police stormed through the front of the small station, all that was left was a cracked mirror and a hell of a lot of unconscious guards.


	5. Exile: Meetings

**Man, I'm on a roll right now. Two chapters in under a month? Someone better give me a damn cookie.**

 **RayTheZoroark: I'm glad you like my story. You might have to PM me with the problems you're talking about so I can properly fix them, though.**

 **Temporal King: Of course I'm seeing this story through. I just really suck at updating at a non-sporadic rate. I'm actually interested in what you have to say, so slide in my PMs and we can toss ideas back and forth.**

 **Oh yeah, before I forget: I need about seven good guy OCs for later. So, help me out.**

 **If more people express their desire for Dawn to be put in the harem by next chapter, then I will probably add her to the list.**

 **For now, though, the official harem is as follows:**

 **Korrina**

 **Phoebe**

 **Latias**

 **Cynthia**

 **Aria**

 **Meloetta**

 **Sabrina**

 **Skyla**

 **Zoroark**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Okay, so since I'm such a weakling, I'm adding three more than planned.**

 **It's also to make up for Cynthia, who's almost overused, being in there.**

* * *

Exile: Meetings

Head resting on arms folded against her desk, Cynthia dozed off for the first time in weeks.

Her long blonde hair was frizzed out everywhere, a result of not combing it for days; her head was pounding and she was pretty sure she didn't smell the best either.

Her reading glasses were resting off to the side of her desk. Cynthia vaguely knew that she might've ended up drooling all over the paperwork her face was pushed up against, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

As her younger self would so eloquently put it: fuck the paperwork.

When she had first become champion two years ago (consequently, she wound up in the history books as the youngest- and of the top strongest- champion ever), she knew it wouldn't be all fun and games. What she hadn't been informed of, however, was the sheer amount of **desk work** that she would be forced to do.

Apparently, her sixteen year old self couldn't be bothered to read the fine print- so to speak.

As of late, her workload had been doubled thanks to the sudden increase in crime region-wide (she was on the verge of simply handing in her week notice and disappearing into the mountains like Kanto legend, Red, had done all those years ago).

It was almost a shame that so many people would kill for her position, which is what forced her to stick around. She did like having something so few others had.

Her Pokémon had been attempting, and failing, to make their trainer rest all week. She would always wave them off and say something along the lines of 'Sinnoh isn't gonna run itself.'

She was just barely on the edge of sleep when the door to her office flew open, and the resounding bang it made when striking the wall caused the blonde champion to jerk up in her seat. This, of course, led to the office chair tilting backwards and, with its occupant unable to stop it in time, dropping Cynthia flat on her back with a grunt.

"Cynthia, Cynthia, you won't believe what just happened!" The familiar voice of Avaritia, Cynthia's newest assistant, exclaimed loudly.

Cynthia contemplated simply lying there on the floor, not really caring that her favorite green tank top was collecting dust by the second. But alas, the young champion had a job to do, and that was to stay awake.

"Why are you on the floor?" Avaritia questioned obliviously, peering over the edge of the desk with amused yellow eyes.

Cynthia sat straight up with little effort. Sit-ups were a part of her daily exercise routine, and even if she had not been doing it as of late, her body sill remembered it's lessons. "Oh, don't worry about me. Tell me what happened."

"Well if you insist," Avaritia continued gleefully, dropping whatever little bit of concern she held for the fallen champion and sitting on the desk. Cynthia twitched. That was her new mahogany.

As Cynthia slowly got to her feet, Avaritia rambled. "Some freaky stuff has been happening in the past six months. Ever since the disappearance of that Ketchum kid-" Here, Cynthia twitched again, now seated on the chair once more, "-there's been all kinds of gang activity. If you ask me, I'd say that-"

"Ava, get to the point already." Cynthia couldn't help but interrupt. Frankly, she didn't have time for this- for Avaritia and her attention hogging bullshit, nor for her time to be wasted.

Avaritia pouted. "Steven called." At this, Avaritia smiled dreamily and Cynthia tensed up. If Steven himself was calling her, then it had to be serious. "Well, apparently something went wrong on a mountain in Hoenn. Something about a Blue Orb-"

Cynthia gasped, hand instinctively finding the keystone around her neck and fiddling with it. "Why are you just now saying something?!"

All champions had it drilled into their heads that the legendary Pokémon were very high priority. Knowing the locations of stationary legendaries was basic knowledge for the League.

Avaritia shrugged and watched as Cynthia stood and rushed out the door. She took a moment to scan the tiny office with observant yellow eyes, before finally she smiled and skipped out after Cynthia.

* * *

Pikachu woke wth a start.

The very first thing he noticed was that his partner was missing; this, of course, sent the electric mouse into a minor panic.

Ash was always giving him a heart attack. But, then again, only Arceus knows how many metaphorical heart attacks Ash had suffered at the paws of his own starter Pokémon.

Before he grew resistant to electricity, that is.

More to the point, Pikachu was unsure what to do.

After a bit of disoriented blinking, Pikachu noticed the note on Ash's bag, undoubtedly left by his trainer. After a bit of fumbling (he had to get his reading spectacles from Ash's bag) the electric mouse read the note aloud to himself.

"Gone to meditate. Don't wait up." Pikachu scoffed. It was just like his trainer to be as vague as possible when writing letters.

It didn't bother him that he was left to watch the little makeshift base (no one, Pokémon or otherwise, would dare challenge Pikachu), it was the fact that Ash clearly hadn't taken any extra protection with him before he wandered off.

"Well, at least he's safe," he muttered to himself. Then, having successfully solved the mystery, the electric type burrowed back inside Ash's blue sleeping bag and was asleep instantly.

Later, when Pikachu would think back on this moment with slight guilt, he would still probably have went to sleep.

* * *

Obviously Ash had to work on his recklessness.

Said teenager was recovering from a very unexpected and frankly unfair ambush that occured right as he was exiting the cave.

Ash barely was able to get a good look at his attacker- noting that he was dressed from head to toe in black- before he was forced to throw up an aura shield in response to the onslaught of red aura spheres.

This was seriously wrong.

Ash knew that, based on the sheer strength of the aura spheres as they impacted his shield (they almost cracked the surface), that this stranger was more than a basic aura guardian.

The raven haired teen was preparing to drop the shield and fight back when someone else did it for him.

A blue blur impacted his attacker from the side, causing the person to let out a surprised yell.

Ash wasted no time and immediately let his shield fade, already preparing his own blue sphere of aura.

He locked it on to the opposing man's aura using his own aura, in order to complete the move's preparation, and let it fly.

Distracted by the undoubted pain caused by Ash's savior, the man wasn't able to block the attack.

Ash winced as the black-clad man was hit by **two** Aura Spheres instead of one, the other being from the Pokémon that had injured him. The man was sent crashing into the dust, letting out a few coughs.

Clearly, the man was more trained in attack power than in endurance. But then that brought up the question of who would even bother to train an obvious criminal?

Before either Ash or the Pokémon could further their assault, the man was engulfed in a flash of red aura. When it faded, the man was gone.

Ash cursed. Teleportation was an advanced aura trick, one he himself hadn't even mastered. He was almost jealous of this unknown aura user.

A black paw was placed on Ash's shoulder, and he looked over to the lucario that had popped up at just the right moment.

"Thanks for the help," Ash said gratefully. He wouldn't have gotten out of that unscathed if the fighting type hadn't showed up.

The lucario gave him a toothy grin.

"Lucy!" A vaguely familiar female voice yelled. "LUCY!"

"Is that you?" Ash asked unsurely. The lucario, evidently named Lucy, crossed her arms and jerked her head in the direction of the road.

Ash looked where she was motioning to, just in time to see exactly who had been yelling.

It was a girl, with long blonde hair in a ponytail, wearing a white tank top and a red skirt with black athletic shorts underneath. Another lucario was jogging next to her.

As she drew closer, Ash looked a little harder and his eyes widened.

Even without her signature skating helmet on or even her skates, Ash recognized her face.

"Korrina?!" The teen exclaimed as said gym leader finally reached the two.

Lucario, who Ash also recognized, was eyeing Ash strangely.

Korrina, who was barely winded from the run, instantly recalled Ash's face as well. "Ash?"

Ash felt a slight tugging at his aura. He ignored it for now, focused solely on his old friend. "I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here."

Ash realized how stupid that sounded. Korrina literally lived in the city at the end of the route he was on.

Korrina, it seemed, was willing to ignore the obvious flaws in his statement. "Back at ya," the blonde stated with a wide grin. She tilted her head and looked Ash up and down (she was the same height as him, he noted), before asking, "Where's Pikachu?"

Ash face palmed. Of course, he hadn't brought Pikachu with him earlier so his starter ended up missing out of the impromptu aura fight. "On the other side of this cave."

It was then that she finally noticed the scenery around them. "What the hell?" She said, referring to the black burn marks on the ground that had occured during the ambush.

Ash felt another tug at his aura, more insistent this time. "That's actually from what just happened. Lucy here saved my hide."

Lucy seemed to preen at Ash's acknowledgement, smiling smugly at her trainer who, upon hearing this news, sighed in relief.

"Thank Arceus she didn't do anything bad this time," Korrina muttered. Then, louder, she said, "Why don't we go grab Pikachu and you and I can catch up at my place? I make a mean Pecha Pie."

Before Ash could respond, the tugging on his aura grew almost unbearable so he focused in on it.

He was surprised to find the aura signature of Lucario, who apparently had been steadily staring at Ash the entire time, to be the one tugging.

He was trying to connect. Ash figured there was no harm in allowing the Pokémon access to the more vulnerable parts of his aura, as he trusted Lucario to be careful (all lucario and riolu had a moral code that was unbeatable).

So, he 'accepted his friend request,' as Mew had called it.

Instantly, Ash felt as if a bridge had been built between his own mind and Lucario's mind.

'Took you long enough,' a voice that must have been Lucario's said impatiently.

Lucy looked between the two suspiciously.

'Sorry,' Ash said with amusement.

"Ash?" Korrina huffed. She waved a hand in front of his face. "Hellooo?"

"Huh?" Ash shook his head. "Sorry, I was just connecting with your lucario."

"Connecting with- what?"

"I'll explain later," Ash dismissed. "Now, I believe you said something about Pecha Pie?"

* * *

In a flash of red aura, the man from earlier fell from the dark ceiling and landed on the hardwood floor with a yelp.

He was disoriented for a moment. Then his training kicked in and he leapt to his feet quickly.

His face paled beneath his hood. He recognized this place as the one place that no grunt ever wanted to find himself summoned to.

The walls were painted a very deep red, matching the even darker ceiling and lighter floor. The room was dim, only vaguely lightened by the red-lighted chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There were two L shaped black couches pushed against opposite corners of the room. The grunt was tired, but he didn't dare go to sit down-

-Because resting on one of the couches was a large houndoom.

The dark type lifted it's head and narrowed it's black eyes at the grunt, who shrank in on himself.

Across the room was a black desk. Behind the desk was a woman sitting in a chair, alternating between casually writing in a notebook and typing away at a laptop. On the desk beside the woman was an espeon, who was currently using its telekinesis to refill the woman's wine glass.

The grunt was sweating bullets at that point, not quite sure why he was there but having an idea.

The silence stretched on. The only disturbances were the sounds of a pencil on paper, the clicking of a keyboard, and the light tinkering of a glass being filled.

Finally, the grunt couldn't take it anymore. Just as he opened his mouth to speak up, the woman beat him to it.

"Isn't it just hilarious," she emphasised the last word, "how some people take free will for granted?"

The grunts words died in his throat. The only thing he managed was a weak, "A-Administrator?"

"I think it is," the woman stated, looking up from her work. She picked up her glass, taking a sip. "I think it's really hilarious."

She stood from her chair, taking deliberate steps around the desk. The grunt never found the sound of high heels clicking to be so menacing.

"Technically," she didn't pause in her slow stride, and neither did the espeon beside her. "One can do whatever it is that they want to do."

The grunt held his breath as she drew closer. The houndoom on the couch didn't bat an eye at the rising tensions and simply lay his head back down.

"But. One would also have to look out for the consequences of doing what one wants to do." She stopped a few steps away. "With me so far?"

The grunt nodded weakly.

She smiled. "Just as you have the technical freedom to do whatever you please, I also have the technical freedom to punish you for your… less than satisfactory actions."

The grunt squeezed his eyes shut.

She started to circle him. "Tell me, grunt. What is your pathetic name?"

"D-D-David."

"Well, D-D-David," the woman mocked. "I'll give you three guesses as to why you're here."

David stayed silent.

There was a sigh. "Very well. Espeon."

Espeon's eyes glowed, right before David was assaulted with images of what he had been doing right before being summoned.

"First offense," the woman began, similarly to a teacher. "Causing a traceable disturbance. The cave-in, my dear."

Even as the grunt fell to his knees and gripped his head in pain, the woman continued to list off occurrences. "Second offense. Leaving your aura trail visible for any aura guardian worth their salt to follow after."

The woman shook her head in dissatisfaction. "And of course, your star performance." She said this with clear sarcasm. "Directly attacking an **uncorrupted aura guardian**."

With every word, the mental assault on David's brain got worse and worse.

He was barraged with image after image of his own mistakes, without being allowed a single breath. He eventually couldn't handle the pain any longer.

"I-I'm sorry!" He cried. "It won't happen again. I swear on my life!"

The woman laughed. "You swear on your life…" she shook her head again. "That's cute, considering I've already got your life in my hands. How about on your mother's life instead?"

"N-no…" He was quickly losing the battle with unconsciousness.

"Espeon. Cease."

The assault immediately stopped. David wondered if that was his entire punishment, but didn't dare get up- or even look up- from the floor.

She tutted. "Looks like I'll have to just cash out on that life of yours."

The grunts heart nearly stopped.

What?

"Cerberus…" The houndoom lifted his head.

'No…"

"... Dinner's ready."

* * *

"Sorry I'm late," Cynthia panted, bursting into the conference room.

"It's fine," Steven said. He nodded to an empty chair, next to Diantha, who subtly turned her face away from the blonde champion in distaste.

Cynthia quietly took her seat, feeling slightly awkward.

The reason she was late was because of Garchomp's tendency to refuse to stop training. She had been vigorously sparring against the rest of Cynthia's team on the League training grounds when Cynthia had walked in, moving fast and talking even faster.

The dragon had been stubborn, until Cynthia explained the situation. It had been a relatively short flight via Togekiss to Johto, where most of the important meetings took place.

Champion Lance stood from his seat at the head of the table. "Now that we're all here," Lance began. "We have many things we need to discuss. Phoebe, you're up first."

A petite brunette girl that must have been Phoebe stood up. Cynthia eyed her in surprise. She couldn't have been older than sixteen, the same age Cynthia became champion. Phoebe must have been an Elite for at least two years, backed by the fact that the Hoenn Elite Four stayed the same for that amount of time. So, Cynthia concluded, she must have been a protégé of some sort at one point.

Phoebe spoke in a firm voice. "We have been faced with a danger that even I failed to foresee until it was too late." She picked a leather pouch up off the floor, unzipping it to reveal it's contents. She gently placed a stone sphere on the table. "This is the Blue Orb."

Gasps rang out around the room. Cynthia couldn't believe her eyes. Phoebe continued talking.

"According to a vision I had after arriving on the mountain, this is the work of four unknown humans-"

"They can't possibly be human if they did this!" Diantha protested. A few others voices their agreement.

"What happened to the Red Orb?" Questioned Lance.

Seeing Phoebe become start to become nervous under the pressure, Steven took over. "It's somewhere safe for now. It was untouched, surprisingly." Phoebe shot him a grateful look and quietly sat back down.

"Do you think a Pokémon scared them off?" Asked Diantha, referring to the culprits.

Phoebe hesitated. "That, I can't be sure of. My vision cut off before I could see what became of them."

"You saw what they did to the Blue Orb, right?" Lance pointed out. "What exactly happened?"

"Three of them stayed back while the fourth one went ahead and knocked out the guardians." Phoebe cringed at the memory. "Then the fourth one just… took the Blue Orbs energy. It was almost horrifying to watch." She paused in thought. "The person's hand was glowing red, if that helps."

As chaos over the occurrence ensued, Cynthia furrowed her brows in thought. She felt a pokéball on her belt vibrate slightly, and her hand dropped down to rub it's smooth surface. As soon as her fingers came into contact with it, her eyes widened as she felt the Pokémon within start freaking out.

"Is it okay if i let one of my Pokémon out?" Cynthia requested, just loud enough to be heard over the chatter. "I think he needs to stretch his legs."

Lance waved his approval distractedly; he was focused on Phoebe, who was relaying events to the room once more.

Cynthia shrugged and hit the release button on the pokéball.

What materialized from the scarlet colored light was a tall lucario.

Immediately, he grabbed Cynthia's hand with his paw and she heard his voice in her mind.

 **'Tell the other humans that I know what the culprits are,'** he instructed.

Cynthia dutifully did as told and tried to get everyone's attention. When nobody spared her a glance, she stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled sharply.

Instantly, all was quiet and everyone's eyes were on Cynthia. She looked to the fighting type beside her and smiled sheepishly at him as he rubbed his ears. "My lucario has something to say."

She listened intently as he explained what he could inside her mind, and her eyes widened in shock. She looked at the other champions, preparing to relay the message.

"He says that those people… the ones that destroyed the Blue Orb... they're aura guardians."


	6. Exile: Opportunities

_**So I went and broke my wrist falling out of a tree (like an idiot) so this was a pain to write. Literally.**_

 _ **August 30th update: Everything's all good now. My shitty updating schedule still remains nonexistent, sure, but writing these stories is just a hobby at the end of the day- and, like many hobbies, I don't always have time to work on them.**_

 _ **TemporalKing: Thanks to you I've got a few ideas for that.**_

 _ **Can You Please Not: Jeez, flamers these days, am I right? Don't even bother to read past the description anymore.I mean, we've already established that betrayal fics are automatically cliché (in the first chapter no less), so… either keep up or begone. There's no in-between, my friend.**_

 _ **thunderofdeath97: That's not how it works. The league knows that legendaries aren't really meant to be captured and are vital to the world's balance, so they prioritize the safety of the ones that they know of.**_

 _ **Guest: I feel you, man. If I weren't so concerned about the harem being way too large I would honestly include all of those you mentioned.**_

 _ **PyroSolracIII: I've taken a lot of time to consider who I want to pair with Ash the most and tried to find a balance between what I want and what the readers want, without overfilling the harem. This entire story stemmed from me wanting to pair Aria x Ash tbh**_

 _ **Alright, the full harem is as follows (removed Zoroark for the time being, due to reasons that will be revealed in time):**_

 _ **Korrina**_

 _ **Phoebe**_

 _ **Latias**_

 _ **Cynthia**_

 _ **Aria**_

 _ **Meloetta**_

 _ **Sabrina**_

 _ **Skyla**_

 _ **Flannery**_

 _ **Mallow**_

 _ **Valerie**_

 _ **Clair**_

 _ **This list is prone to change- those of you that are disappointed, keep an eye out. I might just surprise you.**_

 _ **Also, some OC's get to be introduced (thanks, Deutschland1871).**_

 _ **Exile: Opportunities**_

* * *

The man let out an irate sigh as he eyed the sight before him with obvious disapproval.

"You know you can't keep doing this," the man said to the woman behind the desk. She just shrugged and continued typing away on the computer. The man narrowed his eyes.

There were two grunts mopping up the remaining puddles of blood on the floor. Cerberus the houndoom was resting on the couch once more, napping peacefully.

"Leave us," the man instructed the two pair glanced at each other before gathering their supplies and exiting without a word.

"That blood better not have stained," the woman said idly, not looking up.

"If it does, good show." The man took a seat on the empty couch, opposite the occupied one. "No more grunts will be killed, Bellum."

The woman, Bellum, paused to take a sip of her wine. "And why should I listen to you?"

"Because we are critically low on members," the man said calmly. "And we are already hard-pressed to find suitable replacements for the grunts you've killed." He paused to glare slightly at Bellum's disinterested look. "Not to mention, it's not like we can just go shopping for new aura users."

Bellum remained silent. The man pressed on. "We started with exactly thirty aura users, Bellum, including the four of us. We are now down to twenty two."

"They deserved what they got, Famis," Bellum argued. "They jeopardized our plans."

"And you killing them off based on every little mistake is jeopardizing our plans even more," Famis retorted with a pointed look. "But you don't see me feeding _you_ to my Pokémon."

Bellum flushed slightly, but persisted. "We can only accept the best-"

"Which is why we are training them to be just that," Famis said simply. Bellum took a few deep breaths to calm her rising temper. Espeon brushed his tail gently along her hand, speeding up the process.

"Alright, Famis. I'll lighten up on the grunts."

"Not just 'lighten up,''' Famis said sternly. "From now on, I'll deal with the punishments. No arguing." Before Bellum could do just that, Famis disappeared from the room in a flash of red.

* * *

The streets of Black City were crowded. The young woman sighed in slight irritation as she pushed her way through the throngs of trainers, all eager to battle, gripping her younger sisters hand to make sure she wasn't carried away.

"Vicky," whined the smaller girl. "These people smell-"

The woman let out a short chuckle at her sisters observation."Well, we're almost to the gate, so hang tight, kiddo."

"Can we visit White Forest before we leave?" Begged the smaller girl, stumbling slightly when someone bumped her arm. "It was Mom's favorite place."

"It is her favorite place," the woman corrected.

"Yeah, yeah- oof!" The smaller girl stumbled once more, and if it weren't for the quick shot of silk that latched onto the nearest brick wall, they both would've hit the pavement.

"You okay, Rin?" The older woman asked her sister, shooting a dirty look into the crowd of people. No one spared them a glance.

"Uh, yeah." Rin hugged the furry shape tucked into her coat. "Thanks to Spewpa, of course!"

The older woman nodded. "Great. Let's get-" She was cut off by the sudden commotion in the street.

"Watch it, twerp!" A male voice snapped, somehow projecting his voice over the sounds of the city. "You don't wanna piss off an adult!"

"What of it, old man?" A younger male voice challenged. "I was just on my way to Victory Road. _You_ bumped into _me_!" By that point, people had stopped what they were doing to clear a space for the impending fight. The woman and Rin were trapped at the back of the crowd, much to Rin's frustration.

"What's going on, Vicky?" Rin demanded. "I wanna see!"

The woman was tall enough to see over most heads. She watched as the two males, one decked out from head to toe in black, the other in a classic youngster outfit, each pulled out a pokéball. "A battle," the woman said plainly.

Rin pouted. "I know that, at least. Can I-"

"Go ahead," the woman sighed, much to Rin's delight. "But just in case…" She handed her sister a black and gold luxury ball. Rin squealed happily and shoved her way to the front of the crowd to watch the battle.

The woman hung back, rather annoyed at the setback, but happy that Rin was enjoying herself. Battles in Black City were just as common as wild Pokémon in White was a designated battle tower, sure, but people were just as likely to duke it out in the middle of the street as out in the wild.

And yet, something was off about this particular battle. Something-

"You don't like battling as much as your sister there?" A scratchy male voice said from her woman inhaled sharply in slight surprise, but otherwise showed no indication of hearing him. The man was undeterred. "Or maybe you're just having a bad day? You have that look about 'ya."

"Do I know you?" The woman asked smoothly, still not looking tried to focus on the battle, with the scizor and mienshao throwing strikes back and forth.

"Victoria Louise-Habzollern." The woman, Victoria, turned her head sharply to face the man. "Twenty years old… or twenty one. Your birthday was four days ago."

Victoria took the time to thoroughly examine the strange man. He was dressed in clothes that looked casual upon first glance, but were actually quite peculiar. A plain black tee-shirt, black jeans, and brown combat boots.A vibrant blue feather dangled from a thin silver was it- no warm layers to suggest that he was a traveller or even a trainer. Her eyes travelled to his face, and she tensed up upon seeing it.

"Do you always stalk innocent travellers on the street?" Victoria said casually. Her hand stealthily slipped into her coat pocket, where three more pokéballs resided. "Because that's fucking creepy."

The man chuckled."I only stalk interesting people," he said, holding a fist over his heart. "Scouts honor."

 _Like that makes it any better,_ Victoria thought. Aloud, she said, "Interesting? I don't think so."

"I beg to differ," he responded. "You should check out that battle. Or, rather, the trainers."

Victoria looked at the battle, which was clearly going to the kid and his scizor. Her eyes drifted to the other trainer, the one dressed in black, and she immediately noticed something she hadn't man spotted her frown and grinned. "Look familiar?"

Victoria ignored him, fully focused on the bright red 'R' emblazoned across the trainer's chest. "What the fuck?" That wasn't there before.

"That's not even the most fucked up part. Look again." She did, and her eyes widened as she saw the faint red aura surrounding the man. "That's aura," said the man beside her conversationally. "And he and his friends are going to destroy the world with it."

Before Victoria could fully process what was happening, the tides of the battle turned. Quite suddenly, in fact. The mienshao began firing off Aura Spheres too fast for the scizor to deflect. They were tinged red with an unknown power. In practically no time at all, the scizor crumpled to the ground in a dead faint.

His trainer quickly recalled his Pokémon and stomped up to the victor. "I call bullshit!" He fumed, throwing the award money in the older man's face."Those Aura Spheres were red!"

"Thanks for the battle." The black clad man disappeared into the crowd, and that was the cue for everyone to continue their day.

"Vicky, Vicky!" Rin exclaimed, running up to her sister and handing the luxury ball back."Didja see that? The scizor was winning and then the mienshao was like-" Rin suddenly stopped and stared at the man next to Victoria. "Woah, dude… what happened to your face?"

"This isn't our problem," Victoria hissed to the man, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "We don't-"

"We need you," he interrupted."You have skills very few people have. We are the only ones who can stop this before it fire with fire- or in this case, aura with aura." Rin, sensing the seriousness of the situation, stayed silent. Victoria only glared harder at the man.

He sighed, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. "Alright, fine. If you change your mind…" he produced a small card, "...which I know you will, if that little one you've got to protect means anything at all to you… You'll know where to find me."

The blue feather glowed dully, right before he disappeared. No brilliant flash of light or even a ripple in time- one second he was there, the next he wasn't.

Victoria and Rin turned and kept walking- but not before Victoria slipped the card into her pocket.

* * *

Latias had always enjoyed her time spent out in the city. The people were kind and fully supportive of their draconic guardians- even if never having met one of them face to face. Latias loved to go out and simply watch how the people interacted with each other, and how they interacted with their Pokémon in turn. She was a 'people watcher,' as the human term went.

Of course, she couldn't stay out for too long; what with being the sole guardian of the Soul Dew and all.

Recently, Latias had been working on a human form to call her own. She told herself that it was only because she wanted to give Bianca her face back. Nothing more, nothing less.

She certainly wasn't trying to form some sort of individuality from Bianca so that the next time she gave out a surprise kiss, there would be no mistaking one for the other.

Certainly not.

Reasoning aside, Latias thought she was doing relatively well.

 **What do you think of the red, brother?**

Latias said speculatively to the Soul Dew, using her newly discovered projective telepathy- which worked just like speaking out loud, except dark types couldn't hear it. **One flash for yes, two for no.**

Latias was referring to the fiery red locks she had settled gave a short twirl, simple white dress fluttering (she decided to deal with clothing later).

The Soul Dew gave two dull pulses of light.

 **Lighter**?

Two more pulses.

 **Darker**?

One pulse. Latias nodded thoughtfully and closed her eyes. Using her innate psychic ability, she altered the illusion so her hair was a deep crimson-bronze instead of cherry she opened her eyes. **Better**?

The Soul Dew blinked smiled. **Always so helpful, even in death.** She took a seat on the edge of the fountain, heaving a deep sigh.

She felt pathetic. Not because she spent most of her days talking to a rock, but because she was still hung up on a boy she had known for a grand total of two days. 'Not to mention that was years ago,' she thought with another silent sigh. 'I'd be surprised if he even remembers who I am.'

She, on the other hand, remembered every single detail of the boy that snagged her attention. The human boy.

Latias rested her head in her hands, elbows on her lap, and stared out at the wide garden. The silence was welcoming-

Wait. Latias sat up straighter. It was way too quiet. There should've at least been the sounds of the wilderness- pidgeys chirping, combee buzzing, the like. But all she heard was the rushing fountain behind her.

Focusing on her psychic ability, Latias scanned the entire garden. She found no other life forms that weren't was cause for slight alarm.

Had all the Pokémon _migrated_ , or something? The dragoness shook her head; that was would've at least let her know if they were _all_ leaving.

Standing and beginning to pace around the fountain, Latias decided that leaving the Soul Dew alone would not be a good idea. At least, not until she figured out what was going on.

Unexpectedly, the sound of something ringing surprised Latias right back into base form. She was momentarily confused; where the hell did the cell phone on the nearby swing come from? Then she remembered that Bianca had gotten her one for 'instantaneous communication.'

The dragon type quickly used Psychic to flip the device open. Phones were relatively new technology; they were basically just two way X-Transceivers with no other features. They were leagues cheaper both to make and buy.

Since she still couldn't speak human language, and projective telepathy didn't work over devices, Latias just made a sort of trilling sound.

"Latias?" Bianca's voice, made crackly and tinny by the phone speakers, said questioningly."I'll be in late. Do you think can fend for yourself for dinner?"

Latias paused, and chirped in affirmative.

Bianca spoke again. "Okay, awesome. The shop is packed today. I swear it wasn't this popular two days ago." This was the second time Bianca would be staying late at work, which was an art shop she owned. She sold original works and also did on-the-spot portraits for customers. "Anyway, sorry about this, Latias. I've gotta go now." Then she hung up.

Latias placed the phone back on the swing. Her paranoia certainly wasn't helping things. Normally, she'd have been perfectly fine being home alone- she was a legendary dragon, for Arceus's sake, and she wasn't technically alone, if you counted the Soul Dew.

But this was weird.

Too weird.

Just to be on the safe side, Latias sent out a weak psychic pulse over the entire garden- it's purpose was to locate any life forms nearby. Her 'radar' came up blank. Now sufficiently worried, she tried again with a stronger pulse- this would reveal any 'interference' with aura signatures.

This time, Latias felt a very faint blip, loaded with negative intention.

Surprised, she gave one more pulse, and this time the blip was gone. For the first time in years, Latias felt scared. Truly afraid. She didn't fully understand why- she just instinctively knew that if the blip she had felt decided to pay her a visit, she'd be quite screwed.

Unbidden, thoughts of Ash flooded her mind. How he was strong. Caring. Courageous. Capable of keeping her- and the Soul Dew, her brother- safe. Safe from whatever was lurking in her city, at the very least.

Of course, she didn't believe that because of the feelings she one-hundred percent did not have for the raven haired trainer. _Definitely not._ It was for sure because of the fact that he was chosen by Arceus for a reason- not to mention, her creator had warned her several years ago about the dangers of humanity. 'My chosen will protect any of you without hesitation or regard for his own safety in the face of uprising evil,' blah blah and all that.

Now, at this point Latias stopped and considered. She was most likely just freaking out over absolutely nothing, and subconsciously trying to find an excuse to track down her favorite aura guardian. Nothing was amiss in the city of Alto Mare; neither she nor the Soul Dew were in immediate danger.

She carried those thoughts for approximately .7 seconds before she was suddenly slammed into the ground.

Through the white-hot slice of agony and shock-induced muddled confusion, Latias managed to comprehend the fact that she was being attacked, and reacted.

Or rather, she attempted to react. The Pokémon who dared to assault a legendary had her throat in a subduing grip, and if she tried to move it's teeth would dig in to her exposed flesh and most likely kill her. It was at times like this that she cursed the Creator for giving her feathers instead of scales. _Really, what kind of dragon didn't have impenetrable scales?_

She tried focusing a psychic blast, but it bounced off the Pokémon's mental barrier harmlessly. A dark type, then.

"Don't even attempt anything, dragon," an unfamiliar voice warned. "We only want the Soul Dew." Latias tensed up even more, unable to lift her face from where it was being forced into the mud by the astoundingly strong dark Pokémon.

As the unidentified human undoubtedly made his way over to the fountain, Latias felt herself become overwhelmed with panic. They were going to take it. They were going to take her lifeline. Her brother.

She wasn't entirely sure what happened next; surges of adrenaline rushed through her as she released a blast of shimmering white light from her reflective feathers. There was a canine yelp as her captor temporarily loosened it's grip, which was enough for Latias to twist away from it's jaws and attack with a sharp slash of draconic energy.

The mightyena wasn't able to dodge on time. It also wasn't able to survive a rage-fueled full power strike from a legendary dragon, and was sent flying into a tree, snapping it in half on impact.

Not wasting any time, Latias darted for the Soul Dew and snatched it up, while also delivering a psychic shove to the stunned human.

Before he could reach for a pokéball, he was struck with a low powered Dragon Pulse and knocked into a tree. His body hit the ground, out cold. Latias panted from the adrenaline; she couldn't believe she let herself get snuck up on and blindsided like that.

She also couldn't believe her instincts told her that the threat was far from over. Even though she couldn't sense anyone else in the garden, she still felt completely unsafe and she knew that if she stayed long enough she could very well be killed.

Carefully moving over to the unconcious human, Latias peered into his mind to see what he intended to do with the Soul Dew, and who he worked for, if anyone at all. Or at least, she started to peer into his mind, but as she pushed her will into his head she felt something force her right back out. She tried again with the same result.

Latias needed to get out of there. Find Ash. It just seemed like the right path to take. She quickly realized that she couldn't just up and leave without warning Bianca, so she would wait for her to return home and then announce her plans.

Yes, that's what she would do. Relocate Bianca and then hunt down the one person who could keep her safe.

She just hoped nothing bad would happen before then.

* * *

A young woman, age indecipherable, watched her partner with barely contained annoyance.

"Gula!" She snarled, green eyes narrowing on the tall bulky man currently downing handful after handful of cashews. "We don't have time for this!"

The silver haired man barely reacted to her words; the salesman behind the snack stand was standing there uselessly with jaw agape. "S-sir, I don't think-"

"These are free samples, yes?" Gula interrupted with a mouth full of cheese and nuts. The salesman blanched.

"Yes, but-"

"For fucks sake, Gula. Ira said to stakeout, not pig out!" The woman was rubbing her temples furiously. "You've literally just eaten seven burgers!"

"How could you expect me to resist free stuff?" The man asked rhetorically. "Plus, lunch was on her tab anyway. I'm an opportunist, you know."

"More like an honest to Arceus black hole," muttered the woman. "We need to go, like, right now. We can't afford to waste any more time.*

Gula scoffed, now turning away from the free samples. "Since when did you give a damn about what Ira wants you to do? If I didn't know any better I'd say you've accepted her as your superior."

"That's not-"

The woman was cut off by her X-Transceiver ringing shrilly. She cursed before answering. "This better be good," she snapped without looking at the screen.

"Now, there, Invidia. That's no way to speak to your future boss now is it?"

Her blood ran cold as the unfamiliar voice reached her ears. Invidia looked down and saw a dark screen. She motioned for Gula to come closer to hear the call.

"And who might that be?" She said casually.

"The one who saved your friend's asses," was the cryptic response. "Imagine if your beloved Luxuria had been taken into captivity with the rest of them. They'd all be taking turns with the electric chair as we speak."

Invidia couldn't find a way to respond in time, too shocked by what had just been revealed. "Right now, I have the four of them right in front of me. They've decided to convert to our way of thinking; all we're missing is you and your gluttonous friend."

Gula steered his partner to a more isolated area as she gathered her wits. "What's in it for us?" She said with slight nerve.

"Glad you asked. How about we discuss this in person, so there's no confusion? These open phone lines are quite untrustworthy.*

Invidia glanced up at Gula, who was tensed up. He nodded slightly. "He's telling the truth- how else would he have gotten your contact?" He said in a low whisper.

"Okay," Invidia said to both Gula and the mysterious man. "When and where?"

"Exactly four miles north of your current location, in two hours time. Don't be late." With that, the man hung up, and Invidia flung her X-Transceiver to the ground and stomped on it.

" _Fuck_ ," she hissed. Gula echoed her profanity.

* * *

After going to retrieve Pikachu and pack up the camp, we find Ash tearing ravenously into a large slice of pie. He'd forgotten just how amazing a home cooked meal, even it it wasn't technically a meal, could be. Pikachu was on the table beside him, dipping his paws into a saucer of ketchup and licking them clean.

Korrina watched them both from behind the kitchen island, using the guise of tidying up as an excuse to avoid conversation before she was good and ready. Normally, she was an extremely social butterfly, often inviting people over to her sizable gym-leader funded home for snacks and gossip when she wasn't training and exploring, but recent events had left her quite unreceptive to frivolous human interaction.

People often wondered how a seventeen year old girl was possibly able to maintain such luxurious living conditions, even on a gym-leader paycheck, and Korrina would always state with pride hpw she brought in extra money by evaluating mega stones with her grandfather. But as she stared at the raven haired teenager sitting at her table, dirty and tired and full of life experience despite his age, Korrina couldn't help but feel as if she was missing out on so much more. A hell of a lot more adventuring opportunity than staying in the same city for her entire life had provided, at least.

She finally snapped out of her deep thoughts when Ash loudly proclaimed, "That was amazing, Korrina. I had no idea you could cook so well!"

"I only really know how to bake," the blonde girl corrected with surprising modesty. "Tell me to boil a pot of water and I'll somehow end up with third degree burns. Lucario does all of the cooking."

Almost as if he were summoned by his name, the fighting type sauntered into the kitchen. He stopped and sniffed the air before giving Ash a dirty look and placing a paw over his nose.

Korrina noticed this behavior and giggled. "Lucario thinks you need a shower, Ash. Use ours; upstairs, the door at the end of the hall." Her tone left no room for discussion.

Ash tentatively sniffed the collar of his shirt and gagged. "I think you're onto something, Lucario."

After finding the bathroom and thoroughly scrubbing himself under the hot spray of water, Ash heard a knock on the door. He swung it open, after making sure to wrap a towel around his waist, to the sight of Lucy holding an outfit out for him to take.

"Thanks Lucy," Ash said cheerfully, oblivious to the aura canine's face burning under her cobalt fur. He shut the door again and Lucy stood there for a few long moments, entranced by what she'd just seen, before finally breaking out of it and rushing back downstairs.

Lucario noticed his sister's behavior immediately as soon as she entered the living room. The large grin was hard to miss. After she had bolted out the back door, the older jackal Pokémon sent through their mental link, " _What's got you all in a hurry?"_

 _"Nothing!"_ Was her immediate response. Lucario rolled his eyes at her predictability.

 _"Don't be gone for too long. I've been considering offering exclusive aura training to Ash, and if he accepts, then I'll need your assistance."_

She didn't respond right away, but he could sense her spike of apprehension. _"A-ah, okay, that sounds great. See ya then… I guess."_ Then she severed the link.

Just on time, Ash stepped into the living room, hair still dripping water. "Where'd Korrina go?"

"Running inventory at the Tower of Mastery," Lucario informed through their link. "I stayed behind to speak to you about something important."

"Like what?" Ash asked, carefully lifting a fast asleep Pikachu off the recliner chair and sitting down before placing the electric rodent in his lap.

" _How would you like to be trained to better utilize that incredibly potent aura of yours?_ " Lucario said, cutting straight to the point. " _I can tell that you have massive potential, a dormant strength I've never seen before in all my years. I'd like nothing more than the opportunity to help you ascend to greater heights. What do you say?"_

Ash's jaw dropped in shock. Sure, he'd had assistance in learning basic aura capabilities with Mew, but this was an opportunity of a lifetime. Not only would he get to learn from a literal aura master in the flesh, he'd also get extra training for his own Pokémon. It was a win win. "I accept this offer."

 _"My training will be harsh. You'll most likely hate me and wish for me to be hit by a train at many points. Are you one hundred percent certain that you're willing to go through with it?"_

Ash remembered that moment in the lab after his defeat in Kalos. How everyone turned on him so suddenly, calling him weak and stupid. He never wanted to experience that kind of helplessness, that insecurity, ever again. "I'm more than willing to follow this through to the end. Whatever it takes." He said this firmly, making eye contact with the fighting type Pokémon.

Lucario nodded once. Just as he had expected; this one would keep his word, no doubts about it. " _Alright, then. We start tomorrow."_


End file.
